Swing stop and detent structure for shovel loaders



July l, 1969 T. N. HACKETT 3,452,889

SWING STOP AND DETENT STRUCTURE FOR SHOVEL LOADERS f 9 C la* O y INVENT OR Hmm THEODORE N. HACKETT ATTORNEYS July l, 1959 T. N. HACKETT 3,452,889

SWING STOP AND DETENT STRUCTURE FOR SHOVEL LOADERS Filed sept. 1, 1967 sheet .2 of 2 'i ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,452,889 SWING STOP AND DETENT STRUCTURE FOR SHOVEL LOADERS Theodore N. Hackett, Salt Lake City, Utah, assignor to The Eimco Corporation, Salt Lake City, Utah, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 665,170 Int. Cl. E02f 3/ 00, 3/ 62 U.S. Cl. 214-132 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The swing stop and detent structures for aligning and holding the swinging upper deck on the stationary lower deck of a shovel loader includes an upstanding stud on the lower deck and cooperating downwardly projectable spaced bodily movable pawls on the upper deck. The pawls are xed in location with respect to the upper deck but may move vertically independently of one another. The pawls are spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the cross-sectional dimension of the stud.

Background of the invention Summary of the invention It will be obvious from the foregoing that the present invention is unique in its components as well as in its automatic operation to maintain the upper and lower deck of a loader in registry when so desired and to automatically allow for a locking of the two decks together or to allow the upper deck to be swung either to the right or the left and without any injurious eiects to the detent structure and then to allow return of the upper deck in registry with the lower deck and be maintained in that position by the detent structure part of which is carried by the upper deck and part of which is carried by the lower deck.

One object of the invention is to provide a unique swing stop and detent structure for loaders and including an upper swing deck and a lower fixed deck and with unique cooperating locking means one component of which is carried by the upper deck and is slidable and another component of which is carried by the lower deck and which is fixed.

One object of the invention is to provide a unique swing stop and detent structure for loaders and including an upper swing deck and a lower fixed deck and with unique cooperating locking means one component of which is carried by the upper deck and is slidable and another component of which is carried by the lower deck and which is xed, and the slidable means on the upper deck being adapted to engage the xed means on the lower deck and while in engagement prevent swinging movement of the upper deck relative to the lower deck and upon movement of the slidable means away from the means carried by the lower deck allow for swinging movement of the upper deck relative to the lower deck and means whereby the slidable means is released and will, upon movement of the upper deck to the right or left, ride over the means on the lower deck and when the upper and lower decks are in registry the said slidable means will again engage the means on the lower deck to lock the two decks in their registered or aligned position.

Other objects and many attendant advantages of the invention will become more apparent when considered in connection with the specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the loader and broken away to show a part of the swing stop and detent structure and the connection with air operated means and controls for operating the same;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the swing stop and detent structure with portions of the upper and lower decks of the loader;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the detent mechanism in its locking position position with reg-ard to the upstanding stud;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the stop and detent structure in its release position with respect to the stud; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of FIG. 3.

Detailed description of the invention In FI-G. 1, L denotes the loader in general. There is an upper swing deck 6 and a lower stationary deck 7 below which is a carriage 8 for the oppositely disposed pairs of wheels 9 and 10 and which wheels are adapted to run on suitable spaced tracks 11. There is a laterally outwardly extending operator platform F upon which the operator stands to operate -a handle G which controls the propulsion of the loader and for operation of a hand lever H which controls the supply of air to an actuating cylinder piston P within a casing C. Any suitable mechanism -may be utilized to drive the loader or it may be pushed along the tracks. There is a bucket structure 12 pivotally or rockably mounted at the forward end of the loader and a means 13 extending from a frame of the loader which assists in rocking the bucket from its position shown in FIG. 1 over top of the loader to substantially the rear end R of the loader for discharge of muck or the like from the bucket structure 12.

The components ot the swing stop and detent structure on the upper deck of the loader are comprised of a circular hollow detent support 14 which has an outwardly extending flange 15 adjacent the bottom thereof and a circular ring-like portion 16 at the very end of this detent support which is snugly positioned in an opening 17 in the upper deck 6 and which upper deck also has a recess 19 therein into which the flange 15 is seated and maintained therein by a plurality of bolts 20. The recess 19 in the upper deck enables the detent support to be firmly positioned by means of pairs of bolts 20 which are secured to the ange 15. There are suitable lock washers 19 with spaced openings therein disposed on the upper surface of the flange 1S and through which the bolts 20 pass.

Interiorly of the detent support14 there are at least two similar vertically extending opposite guide grooves 21 which extend throughout the length of the detent support.

Positioned in each of the grooves are marginal portions of similar elongated pawls 22 and 22', and each of these pawls is substantially of distorted C shape and substantially fiat throughout their entireties and each has a similar overhanging right angular upper end portion 23, and an inwardly extending complementary right angularly inwardly extending portion or shoulder 23' thus forming between said right angularly extending portions a space S for a purpose later described.

The extreme end portion 24 of each pawl is inclined and forms on its edge a cam surface. An enclosure or casing C has its lower portion C snugly disposed about the detent support 14 and there are suitable bolts 25 disposed radially about the casing C to maintain the same in its proper relationship with the detent support 14.

Disposed within space S are the oppositely positioned sliding pawls 22 and 22. There is also an upstanding elongated actuating cylinder piston P having sealing rings P' at its upper portion and at the lower reduced portion thereof there is a piston supporting bar 26 with an opening 26a and through which the reduced end of the piston extends and the said piston is welded at 26? to the underside of the supporting bar. The supporting bar 26 as seen in FIG. is bolted in the recess by means of pairs of bolts 27 at opposite ends thereof. This supporting bar 26 it will be seen from FIG, 4 at its opposite marginal side edges denoted X serves as a stop means for the inwardly right angularly projecting portions 26 of the pawls 22 and 22. Further it will be noted that the width of the piston supporting bar is substantially equal to the oppositely disposed inside edges Y of each pawl 22 and 22', and serves in a way to maintain the said pawls in their proper relationship when disposed in the oppositely extending guide grooves 21. The piston has a depending portion P2 thereof and there being a passageway entering as at 28 throughout the length of the cylinder piston and opening as at 29 into a circular hollow actuating cylinder 30. Air is supplied to the inlet 28 of the passageway in the actuating cylinder piston P by means of a conduit 31 suitably connected by means of a connector 32 to a source of air supply through conduit 33 and which conduit is connected to control valve V and compressed air from source 34 is delivered to the inlet of the control valve V and which valve is in turn operatively connected with hand lever H.

In the lower deck 7, a recess 36 is formed and into this recess there is positioned a stud including a shoulder 37 and centrally of this shoulder there is an enlarged portion 38 of an upstanding stud generally denoted at 39 and including an upper portion 40 thereof having opposite flat sides 40a and 40b and side end portions 401 and 4i)2 inclined and which upper portion 40 extends above the plane of the surface of the lower deck. Surrounding the enlarged portion of the stud 39 there is a rubber or the like shock absorbing ring 41 the lower portion 42 thereof being seated on the marginal portion of the bottom plate 37 and the upper portion 43 being substantially iiush with the surface of the deck at least when a circular retaining plate 44 with a circular opening 45 therein is positioned about the stud and which plate is maintained in place by a suitable plurality of bolts and nuts 46 and which nuts or bolts may be in turn held in place by a suitable wire 47 which extends from one of the nuts to the other as shown.

By referring to FIG. 3, it will be noted that the pawls 22 and 22 and the actuating cylinder 30i carried by the upper deck 6 are in locked position with respect to the extending end portion 40 of the iixed stud 39 carried by the lower deck 7 and there being opposite sides 211 and 212 of the lower portion of each pawl disposed adjacent iiat opposite sides 40a and 40b of the extending portion 40 of the stud 39.

By referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the pawls 22 and 22' have been moved upwardly in the casing and with their lower ends being above the extreme end of the extending portion 40 of the stud 39 and adapted to clear the end of that stud when the upper deck 6 is swung either to the right or left with respect to the fixed lower deck 7.

In FIG. 2, the upper deck 6 has been swung from the position of FIG. 4 wherein the air pressure in the actuating cylinder 30 has been released and when the upper deck 6 is out of registry with the lower deck 7, and it will be noted that the inclined end 24 of a contacting pawl 22 is in engagement with the inclined upper end 4l)2 and has raised this pawl 22 in the guide groove 21 and upon further movement to the right of the upper deck 6 the pawl 22 will slide over the top of the extended end 40 of the stud 39 and position itself on the other side of the projecting portion 40 of the stud 39 as shown in FIG. 3 and likewise then, the opposite pawl 22' will be positioned on the other side of the projecting portion 40 of the stud 39 and thus the upper and lower decks will be maintained in proper registry and with the bucket directly forwardly of the loader.

It is obvious, therefore, that if the upper deck 6 were swung in a direction opposite to that position shown in FIG. 2, the inclined edge 24- of the adjacent pawl would engage the inclined edge 40' of the projecting portion 40 of the stud 39 and further movement to align the upper and lower decks would be the same as that explained hereinbefore with regard to FIG. 2.

It 'will be seen from the foregoing detailed description of the invention that the pawls 22 and 22 and the studs 39-40 constitute the means for locking the upper and lower decks in their aligned and registered position and thus there is no additional means required such as a separate bolt or the liketo lock the upper and lower decks in their registered position.

What is claimed is:

1. A swing stop and detent structure for loaders or the like, comprising an upper swingable deck, a lower fixed deck, cooperable component locking means carried respectively by the upper and lower decks, one component of said cooperable means being on the upper deck and slidably mounted, means on the lower deck, in cooperation with the means on the upper deck, for maintaining the said decks in superposed aligned locked position, the said means on the lower deck being xed thereto, the locking component on said upper deck, when lowered, engaging the said component on the lower deck in such a manner as to prevent relative movement of the said decks, and actuating means in operative connection with said slidably mounted means on said upper deck to raise the same above the locking component on the lower deck and thus allowing swinging movement of the upper deck relative to said lower deck, said component on the upper deck being at least two similarly formed spaced-apart bodily movable pawls and the means on the lower deck being an upstanding fixed stud projecting above the plane of that deck, said space between the pawls being only slightly greater than the cross-sectional dimension of the stud, whereby the pawls in operative position will be close to the opposite sides of the stud.

2. A swing stop and detent structure for loaders or the like, comprising an upper swingable deck, a lower fixed deck, cooperable component locking means carried respectively by the upper and lower decks, one component of said cooperable means being on the upper deck and slidably mounted, means on the lower deck, in cooperation with the means on the upper deck, for maintaining the said decks in superposed aligned locked position, the said means on the lower deck being iixed thereto, the locking component on said upper deck when lowered engaging the said component on the lower dec-k in such a manner as to prevent relative movement of the said decks, and actuating means in operative connection with said slidably mounted means on said upper deck to raise the same above the locking component on the lower deck and thus allowing swinging movement of the upper deck relative to said lower deck, said component on the upper deck being at least two similarly formed spaced-apart pawls and the means on the lower deck is an opstanding fixed stud projecting above the plane of that deck, a cylindrical and open ended pawl support mounted on and in registry with an opening in the upper deck, oppositely disposed guide grooves in the pawl support, an elongated pawl disposed in each of said grooves, means disposed between the said pawls for moving the pawls an opstanding stud means fixed to the lower deck and in the path of the lower ends of the pawls when said pawls are lowered through and beyond the opening in the upper deck, the said pawl operating means allowing the pawls to be disposed on opposite sides of the said fixed stud to thus lock the upper and lower decks in registered position and to retract the said pawls to allow the upper deck to swing relative to the lower deck.

3. A swing stop and detent structure for loaders or the like, comprising an upper swingable deck, a lower fixed deck, cooperable component locking means carried respectively by the upper and lower deck, one component of said cooperable means being on the upper deck and slidably mounted, means on the lower deck, in cooperation with the means on the upper deck, for maintaining the said decks in superposed aligned locked position, the said means on the lower deck being xed thereto, the locking component on said upper deck when lowered engaging the said component on the lower deck in such a manner as to prevent relative movement of the said decks, and actuating means in operative connection with slidably mounted means on said upper deck to raise the same above the locking component on the lower deck and thus allowing swinging movement of the upper deck relative to said lower deck, said means on the upper deck being at least t-wo elongated substantially flat pawls, oppositely disposed guide means with aligned grooves therein carried by the upper deck, each pawl being mounted in each guide means, pawl operating means disposed between said pawls and adapted to engage portions of the pawls an actuating cylinder piston fixedly positioned between the said pawls, an actuating cylinder slidably mounted about the xed piston and means for moving the actuating cylinder relative to the fixed piston for engagement with one or both of said pawls, and the means on the lower deck being an upstanding fixed stud projecting above the surface of the lower deck, the pawls having inclined lower end edges, the stud having inclined opposite top portions, and the pawls being adapted to be lowered so as to position opposite lower portions of each pawl on opposite sides of the stud, and the inclined portions of each pawl being adapted to engage an inclined adjacent side of the top of the stud depending on the swinging movement of the upper deck either to the right or the left whereby the stud may be cleared by one of the pawls when the upper deck is moved either to the right or the left and the other pawl will slide down on the other side of the stud and thus with the two pawls lowered the upper and lower decks will be maintained in locked registered condition.

4. The swing stop and detent structure for loaders and the like as in claim 3 wherein each of said pawls are substantially C-shaped and elongated and have upper and lower inwardly directed right angular portions and the upper right angular inclined end portions engaging the actuating cylinder when the same is moved upwardly and thus move the pawls upwardly and out of the path of the stud carried by the lower deck, and a fixed support positioned between the t1wo C-shaped pawls and having the actuating cylinder piston mounted thereon and xed relative thereto and wherein the fixed stud in the lower deck is resiliently mounted.

5. The swing stop and detent structure for loaders and the like as in claim 4 wherein there is a cylindrical pawl support upon the both ends and there being oppositely disposed guide grooves interiorly of said support, elongated substantially `flat and C-shaped pawls having marginal portions thereof mounted in said guide grooves and providing a space between said pawls, an elongated substantially at bar fixed at both ends and extending between the space formed by the pawl, the width of the support between the pawls being such as to serve to maintain the pawls in their respective grooves in the pawl support, and the resilient mounting of the stud being a ring of resilient material surrounding a portion of the stud that is in the recess in the lower deck and means for maintaining the ring of resilient material in the said recess.

6. A swing stop and detent structure for loaders or the like, comprising an upper swingable deck, a lower fixed deck, cooperable component locking means carried respectively by the upper and lower decks, one component of said cooperable means being on the upper deck and slidably mounted, means on the lower deck, in cooperation with the means on the upper deck, for maintaining the said decks in superpo'sed aligned locked position, the said means on the lower deck being fixed thereto, the locking component on said upper deck when lowered engaging the said component on the lower deck in such a manner as to prevent relative movement of the said decks, and actuating means in operative connection with said slidably mounted means on said upper deck to raise the same above the locking component on the lower deck and thus allowing swinging movement of the upper deck relative to said lower deck, said component on the upper deck being at least two slidably mounted pawls, the means on the lower deck being an upstanding stud which extends eyond the plane of the deck and the actuating means is an actuating cylinder on a fixed cylinder piston with support means between the said pawls, and the actuating piston having a central bore opening at the top of the piston into the said actuating cylinder, the said bore being connected by conduit means to a supply of air under pressure, and said air under pressure being manually controlled so as to effect the movement of the cylinder relative to the piston and said cylinder engaging the pawls to raise and allow lowering the same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,282,613 5/194-2r Sheets 214-132 2,581,437 l/1952 Osgood 214-132 3,335,881 8/1967 Pahlsjo 214-131 HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

